Review by Booklist Review
After surviving an avalanche 18 months prior, six friends helicopter to an exclusive island retreat, complete with a glass mansion, to celebrate their high-school graduation. Paradise quickly turns into nightmare fuel, however, when they are hunted by someone who knows what secrets they thought were buried back in the snow. This psychological thriller will leave the reader gasping for air and glaring into the mind of a vengeful killer. Trigger warnings tell the reader what sort of tale to expect, with good reason; themes of survival, cannibalism (largely off-page), and violence pervade. Told from ever-decreasing points of view, the book is also interspersed with breaks consisting of text messages from outside perspectives after the weekend away, keeping the suspense high. Several homages to the golden age of detective fiction find themselves at home here (the secluded estate, an ensemble of suspects, dark and stormy nights, etc.). The tension builds slowly, allowing the individual characters to develop, before reaching a terrifying pitch. The irony of staying in an actual glass house while throwing stones of denial and accusation at one another adds an extra layer to this multifaceted tale. A page-turner that will leave the reader wondering if the ending was preventable or inevitable.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
At the start of this cutting thriller from He (Perfect Little Monsters), eight friends on a skiing trip become trapped in a shelter following an avalanche. Eighteen months later, the six survivors--Ant, Charlie, Emily, Isla, Sadie, and Will--eagerly await their high school graduation. Not only does it herald an era of transition, but they hope it will finally free them from the traumatic memories of the incident. When they learn that a private island south of Martha's Vineyard is available for rent, they plan to throw an epic party as a last hurrah. Though they invite their whole class, the friends arrive a day early, each with their own goals for the weekend: Ant and Will contemplate potential hookups, Emily determines to confess her feelings for Ant, and Charlie schemes to force confessions about what happened on their ski trip for blackmail material. But after one of them suddenly dies, the group's members begins to turn on one another. Themes of revenge, heightened by passionate emotion and complex relationship dynamics, contribute to the novel's mounting tension and the mostly white-cued characters' increasing paranoia, while a secluded island setting enhances the claustrophobic atmosphere. Ages 14--up. Agent: Michael Bourret, Dystel, Goderich & Bourret. (July)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 9 Up--A senior trip turns deadly in this twisty locked-room mystery. The last time Sadie, Isla, Will, Emily, Charlie, and Ant were together, two of their friends ended up dead. However, Sadie's wealth and connections helped cover up exactly what happened. Eighteen months later, Sadie is convinced to rent the exclusive, private Christie's Island to throw one last party for her graduating class. The six friends arrive a day earlier than their classmates, and upon arrival discover the island deserted; and while there's plenty to eat and drink, there's no way to contact the mainland. Right as it becomes clear their classmates won't be joining them, the friends start to drop dead, one by one. As the main narrative on the island unfolds, flashbacks to the group's deadly ski trip reveal the lengths, and horrors, these teens are willing to go to survive. The story is full of twists and red herrings, with a satisfying conclusion readers won't see coming. Fans of Agatha Christie will appreciate the references to And Then There Were None. Emily is cued Asian; Ant is cued Latinx; Isla, Will, Charlie, and Sadie are cued white. VERDICT This fast-paced mystery belongs on library shelves.--Karyn Hladik-Brown
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
Thanks to Sadie Lombard's trust fund, she and her friends are celebrating high school graduation on Christie's Island, an exclusive destination off the coast of Massachusetts. Valedictorian Isla Claythorne is ready to let loose for the weekend, as are playboy Anthony "Ant" Martinez and the group's star athlete, Will Armstrong. Emily Chang, Ant's childhood best friend, is excited for this perfect opportunity to confess her feelings for Ant. Charlie Rogers, who's become moody and distant over the last year, surprises everyone by agreeing to go. Upon their arrival, the teens discover that the island's mansion is not only devoid of staff but lacking internet and satellite connections. The isolation evokes memories of another trip they took together: Eighteen months ago, the six classmates and two other teens were skiing in Canada when an avalanche trapped them in a mountain hut for weeks. The six gathered on the island haven't spoken about the experience to anyone since their rescue, but when they find a painting in the mansion referencing the Donner Party, with two of eight depicted figures crossed out, they begin to suspect that someone knows the truth they're hiding. Conversations inserted between chapters reveal early on that no one survives the graduation party, cranking up the tension and sense of creeping dread. Readers are left wondering who to blame as, one by one, the mostly white cast members meet their untimely and gruesome fates. Names cue some diversity. A chilling and suspense-filled tragedy. (content warning)(Thriller. 14-18) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
